- Trailer typeCommon on Wilderness Energy kits, and lower quality, they do work, they tend to come apart too easily after alot of use and generally should be replaced with better quality connectors if and when possible.

One thing you will qickly learn as you work with your Ebike is that everything requries connectors, battereis, chargers, controllers etc..

Most kits are ready to go and you don't have to worry about it.. but what do you do if you need to replace one ? or more ?

for larger wires or higher current you could also use the Anderson SB50 series connectors.these are used on power wheelchairs and some trolling motors.

sb50_xlrg.jpg (92.22 KiB) Viewed 16415 times

rick

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Not all connections need to be unplugged. If you have seldom-disconnected connections, http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_wes ... ion_spliceThe Western Union Splice (from the 1840s) remains the gold standard.You will learn to solder if you don't already know how to solder.Will show how and why:

The twisting of stranded wire, or the hard CRIMP of a connector to its wire makes the electrical connection.But what about permanence against corrosion, even soaking in salt water or leaking electrolytes?That's where solder comes in.

Billions of cars, etc, make do with the simple, "reliable" crimp connector. But woe unto them if they get soaked: total write offor total rewiring, because the mass produced crimp connection is rarely soldered.

Solder seals out the elemental air and nasty stuff. Solder flux chemically cleans the non-conductive oxides from the wire.It's a good deal all round, and strengthens the joint.

Now, let's talk about another kind of connector some of you know about but tend to eschew in favor of Andersons or Deans: plugs that relyon simply wiping contact with some spring pressure.

I like solder. I like connectors that can be un-done in a trice. Let's look at the simplest, tightest connectors made. And cheapest too:

(tbc)

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Temporary addendum. Illustrating the quick and reliable "euro style" butt joint connector.There are tips to be followed: twist and solder the wire ends. snug the grub screw (it's captured, cannot fall out and get lost).next day, TIGHTEN the joint again, because the copper and solder crush down under the tremendousclamping pressure of the grub screw.

Also: when disconnecting a joint, leave the connector on the "hot" wire, if any, and disconnect the cold wire;no shorts possible this way.

Also: white nylon is not very pretty. You can make these connectors any colour you like:soak them for a few days or a week in fabric dye: jet black, blood red, bright green, yellow, blue,you name it.

Also: they come in various sizes for thin to very thick wire.

I've used them for twenty years or more.

Remember to tighten the grub screw on occasion. Eventually it will remain tight and perfectly vibration proof,and you can take the joint apart in about five seconds using a simple screwdriver.

COMPRESSION greater than any snap connector, will carry large currents and never let you down.Grease the wire ends for archival permanence against salt water, etc.

Sample video seen elsewhere, but showing the connectors, which you can use as a gang strip,or cut apart with a sharp blade as I did here:

I discovered there is a good reason why many of the PP15/45 connectors come out so easy--there are two kinds of contacts. One has a low-detent (3lbf) force, and one a higher force (5lbf) to pull apart. The low-detent ones are the ones Powerwerx, PowerRideStore, and probably everyone else is selling.

I'm sure that as small as that difference seems, it would make a world of difference to the problems of connectors just disconnecting on their own, even without all the other workarounds, because it is almost double the amount of force required by the contacts we all are likely using right now.

(I did a few searches to see if this info is on ES, but did not find it by any of the search terms I could think of, including the p/n's.)

I have been doing a little searching to find the right part numbers to get a quote from Avnet on some various parts that they don't list in their online catalog, but I'm sure they can get if they tried. (Avnet because I have a free shipping coupon, and what I'm after is all so small that shipping costs would be negligible if things were normal, but we all know that shipping tends to be $12-$30 for a packet of stuff that'd fit in a padded envelope for a couple bucks if they'd just do it that way. )

Anyhow, in that search, I started reading the Anderson Power Products site and specifications. In doing so I found the notes about the different pull-apart-force contacts for these.

Now, I don't have an individual contact p/n for the High-Detent force 45A contacts, as they seem to have accidentally left that off the datasheet. I know one exists because there is one for the LD-force individuals, and there is a full reel p/n for them. I list below what I *think* the p/n is, with an * since it might be wrong.

Some other good info:Under No Load (no power applied) mating cycles= 10,000Under Load (with 120V applied) mating cycles=250, at 15A to 75A (depending on which kind of contacts you have installed)The 45A contacts use a 30A load for that test.

Contact retention force (how hard you have to pull on the wire to yank it out of the housing):(lbf) 25 to 170(N) 111 to 756

Contact detent force (how hard you have to pull two connectors to separate them):(lbf) 3 to 20(N) 14 to 89(depends on which contacts for each size)

Operating Temperature (Â°C) -20Â° to 105Â°(Â°F) -4Â° to 221Â°(they can make higher-temperature-rated ones, apparently, not sure why not lower-temperatures)

They are all rated for up to 600VDC or VAC.

I am going to try to get the higher detent force contacts via Avnet to see if there's much of a difference. I can definitely say that the few I have here already on some things I've gotten from various ES members don't take much to pull them apart. I do not know but do believe that they are all likely the low-force contacts. In some cases, just the weight of very heavy gauge wire could be expected to disconnect them, under shock loads from road bumps and potholes, depending on how many plugs are bound together in a block.

Personally I have used the much larger cousins, the multipole versions:http://www.andersonpower.com/products/multipole-sb.htmlFor battery connectors, I think these would be better. Especially since they could be used to ensure no one could connect the battery to the phase/etc.

Also, they CAN'T be connected backwards, as long as you installed the contacts on the correct sides in the first place. The shells even have a + and - molded into them to help with that.

Additionally, they come in different colors that are generally already used for different voltages, so that standard could be followed. The colors are keyed so they cannot be plugged into each other unless they are the same color (it is possible to remove the key but it is a PITA and weakens the shell). I've seen this color code used in most of the things I've found these types in. Ignore the color chart link on the page--it's not the right chart. Use the one in the family spec sheet.

There are a number of accessories for them that make them easier to use for battery connections as well, both for charging and for discharging, such as panel mounts, t-handles (for quick-disconnect use), cable clamps (to ensure that the cables don't wiggle around in a way that could possibly make the contact lever loose from the spring (which is very hard to do--there is a 50lb contact-pullout force on them before you can yank the contact out the back). I've got a couple of them with those clamps on there out of a UPS, and they are pretty good.

For the PP15-45 series, they also have stuff like rear splash boots, to cover the wire-entry end of the shell. Those could be useful to us, but I haven't seen them at most of the sites I found the shells and contacts at (just Powerwerx). http://www.powerwerx.com/anderson-power ... cessories/

If you like this style of connector, but want to use a larger wire gauge with a higher amp-rating, (and youre also willing to pay more because it includes a very robust weather-resistance) the “Weather Pack" series of connectors is growing in popularity for generic auto/boat/off-road/farm-equipment electrical systems.

There are 4 sizes of WP-connector, and also 4 sizes of pins, depending on the wire-gauge and continuous amp-rating thats needed. My local NAPA auto parts store carries the 280-series/30A (continuous) which can accept the 14/16-gauge pins, however, two larger sizes are also available, using up to 10-ga wire @ 46A (continuous). $11 per matched pair at NAPA retail price for the 280-series size, 2-pin connector shown.

These connectors have a high level of moisture resistance due to the use of silicone boots and grommets. Napas retail price for a complete 2-pin 14-gauge wire connector set is about $11 (both male and female 2-pin connectors, plus 4 pins and 4 grommets).http://www.whiteproducts.com/metri-pack.shtml

They are also available with 1/2/3/4/5 or 6 pins, with the 4-pin available in flat-row, or a square configuration. 5-pin socket is round, 2/3/6-pin is flat-row only. All types have a strong latch, and are polarized to ensure they can only be plugged in one way.

http://www.whiteproducts.com/terminals-seals.shtmlThere are four raw pin sizes, they will accept 10ga to 24ga wire, pigtails available ready-made with 14ga or 18ga wire. These pins use a common crimping plier instead of an expensive proprietary model. I recommend tinning the wire ends with solder before crimping, and re-heating after the crimp. Pins are steel that is plated with zinc.

The Turnigy charger I have, came with a pigtail using XT60 connectors. Even without a latch, they have significant holding ability, and I may use those at some point for other applications. The Deans connectors are red, and the XT-60s are yellow. Deans seem to be popular, and that's fine for chargers inside the house, but on my bike, in unexpected wet weather, I like the increased weather resistance of the Weatherpacks, or the XT-60s.

Notice the banana plugs in the background. They are not polarised, and you can physically plug the red plug into the black socket if you are rushed and not paying attention, or in dim light.

I have recently found a chart that indicates 12-Ga wire can flow 40A DC current continuous, and 10-Ga can flow 55A continuous (obviously more amps if a temporary peak for both wire and connectors), both of which are below the rating of their respective connector (XT60A, XT90A), so the current limiting factor is the wire, not the connector.

When soldering to XT60's and XT90's, always pair-up a male/female set, to hold the pins and sockets in perfect alignment. Before I started doing that, I would occasionally get a plug where the pins had "drooped" inside the plastic housing due to heat. Also, the pins and sockets can be rotated inside the plastic housing, which allows you to have the solder "cup" at the butt end of the pins facing any direction that would be useful.

Ebikes.ca uses 3-pin XLR connectors (a male-female set, of course) on their battery packs and chargers. The rubber fill inside the socket makes these more splash and weather-resistant. The plug-socket shells are polarized so you cant accidentally plug them in wrong.

from Amberwolf and Kingfish, use a micro-B size USB extension cable for the 5 small hall-wires on a hub motor. An "extender" is a short cable with a male on one end, and a female on the other end. Cut the extension in half, and solder the bare ends to the hub and the controller hall wires. Both ends fit through the hole in the M14 nut, and also the hole of a variety of torque arms.

I have been a fan of the 2-pin XT60 connectors for RC motor systems (using 3.5mm pins). For an E-bike battery connector, I have used their larger XT90 connectors (XT90 uses 4.5mm pins).

The company that makes them now makes a 3-pin version in the XT60 size, called the MT60. When they end up making the three-pin connector with the larger pins used in the XT90, I will be buying some to use for motor phase-wires. Thanks to Eitan Tsur for the link.

The EC5 connector uses 5mm diameter pins, and is often published as having a 90A capacity of current. The two-pin version has been available from Hobby King for quite some time, and the plastic housing is polarized to avoid accidentally plugging it in backwards. They are now available in 2015 with three pins.

edit: if you want a US-based supplier, www.ebikekit.com stocks these on the shelf. The price is a little higher, but the shipping will be cheaper. So the actual payment will be close to being the same, but ebikekit is faster and known to be reliable.

I have recently found that Lyen controllers, and the kits from em3ev and Kinaye sometimes come with a 6-pin connector for the hall sensors. The sixth pin is often a white wire that is sometimes used for a speedometer, or sometimes for a temperature probe in the motor.

I thought they would be easy to find, but...they are not commonly stocked (to be fair, they rarely fail or are damaged in normal use). These guys have them: http://www.allelectronics.com

edit: I just ordered three of these $3 sets, but be aware, cheapest shipping shown is $8

edit: the extenders arrived. I can verify the connectors are the same as the square 6-pin hall connectors on my Lyen 12-FET, and also a 12-FET / 18-FET I have from Kinaye Motorsports (as of July 2016)

I am going to use this post to list some of the common 3-wire throttle connectors I have found on some of the ebike controllers I have. Since Hall sensor and throttle wires only carry a 5V signal, they don't carry current, so you can use very thin 36-ga wire, however I find that small of a size very hard to manipulate, so I use 24-ga simply because it's easier on my fat fingers. I ordered teflon insulation to handle high heat.___________________________________________________I don't know what to call this style, they are fairly small. the wire in the link I found here is listed as 22-ga

Here is one style of 3-pin "Molex" connectors. I like to buy extender cables, then cut them in the center to make a male/female pigtail set. These use 18-ga wire, so maybe larger than necessary (may be difficult to attach small wire to a large connector)...

Apparently, the shape of the housing has something to do with indicating the size of the pins, and consequently the amp-capacity of the connectors. These are 0.062-inch diameter "round" pins / 5-amp (not flat blade)

These "apparently identical" connectors have larger 0.093 diameter pins that are rated for 12-amps, we don't need higher amps for a throttle signal, but....sometimes a larger pin/socket is easier to manipulate when wire-crimping and inserting/removing from the connector housing: